What Is Eschatology? (And Why Do You Need to Know?)

 

The study of events that will happen from now through the return of Christ and what will follow thereafter is vitally important. Why is learning about these end-time events so crucial for Christians?

Eschatology is the study of “last, or final matters, as death, the Judgment, the future state, etc.” (Dictionary.com). The term eschatology is derived from the Greek word eschatos, which means “last in time or in place” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

So what is so important about eschatology? Simply put, our understanding of the doctrines dealing with last things is a foundational component of our faith.

Having an understanding of the Bible’s teaching regarding end-time events gives us a basis for hope. With hope, the future we envision with God comes alive. This hope inspires us to dedicate our lives to our Creator and to live by His commands.

Hope is one of the key ingredients of faith, and the Bible has much to say about this Christian attribute. In the Old Testament the Psalms often admonish us to have hope in God, in His Word and in His mercy (Psalm 130:7, 5; 147:11).

Along similar lines, Jeremiah wrote, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:7, emphasis added throughout).

The end times begin

The end time is a major topic of the Bible. Patriarchs and prophets in the Old Testament wrote of this age. Prior to his death, Jacob gathered his sons to tell them what would befall their descendants “in the last days” (Genesis 49:1). And Daniel recorded a prophecy of a conflict between a king of the South and a king of the North that would occur “at the time of the end” (Daniel 11:40).

So, when were these end times predicted to begin? Actually, they have already begun.

The book of Hebrews tells us that God “has in these last [eschatos] days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:2). And on the Day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowds that they were seeing the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit would “come to pass in the last [eschatos] days” (Acts 2:17).

In his epistle Peter also told the people of the first century that Jesus “was manifest [made visible] in these last [eschatos] times for you” (1 Peter 1:20).

From these passages, we see that the end times began at the first coming of Jesus. And we are much closer to the end now!

End-time events

After Jesus gave a prophecy about the destruction of the temple, His disciples asked Him, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).

The answers Jesus gave provide an excellent outline of eschatological events.The answers Jesus gave provide an excellent outline of eschatological events. These include religious deception, wars, famines, pestilences, tribulation, cosmic disturbances and His return. These seven events correspond to the seven seals found in the book of Revelation.

Adding to this eschatological frame, the Bible reveals that in the last days leading up to Christ’s return, people in general will become very selfish, proud and unholy. These are just a few of the traits mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

The Bible also predicts a future time of grave national decline for Jacob’s descendants. This decline culminates in what Jeremiah described as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). Careful study of Bible prophecy and history shows that this refers to the American and British peoples. For further study, see the article “Jacob’s Trouble: What Is It?” and the free booklet The United States, Britain and the Commonwealth in Prophecy.

These troublous times for the English-speaking nations will spread to all nations and threaten the very existence of human life on this planet. As Jesus told His disciples, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

The book of Revelation adds that a civil power called the beast will lead a group of 10 nations in war against Christ when He returns (Revelation 17:12-14). Christ will be victorious, Satan will be bound, and a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth will commence (Revelation 19:19-21; 20:1-4).

The good news of eschatology

After Jesus returns, the earth will become peaceful and abundantly productive as people learn and follow God’s instructions. After the 1,000 years have ended, people who never knew God’s expectations will be brought back to life to have their opportunity for salvation.

God’s seven annual holy days picture His plan of salvation for mankind. To learn more about these days of worship and their meanings for us, see the booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.

There are many additional end-time events that could be added to this brief outline, and many of them are covered in the “Prophecy” section of Life, Hope & Truth. But now that we’ve considered an overview, let’s note what Christ had to say about our study of eschatology—our focus on end-time events.

The significance of eschatology for us

As Jesus finished answering His disciples’ questions about His coming and the end of this current age, He gave them and us an important command. He said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

Luke quotes Jesus saying, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

The Greek words translated “watch” in these two passages mean to be awake, alert and vigilant. In short, watching end-time events unfold is a command from Christ that helps us remain faithful to God and focused on His coming Kingdom. For help staying up with world events and understanding their connection to biblical prophecies, continue reading Discern magazine and subscribe to our “Insights Into News and Prophecy” blog and our Life, Hope & Truth Weekly Newsletter, which includes World Watch Weekly.

Why Is Our Modern World Under Ancient Curses?

 

Terrifying curses were pronounced millennia ago, and their effects are being felt to this day. Why? And how will they finally be removed?

Horror movies and sensational media have popularized ancient curses, such as the curse of the pharaohs that supposedly haunts those who plunder, excavate or even intrude on the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Ancient religions, shamanism and witchcraft often trafficked in vindictive curses and even random hexes and jinxes that affect hapless individuals. They prescribed elaborate rituals for placing such curses or attempting to remove them.

Most people today publicly consider such hocus-pocus to be entertaining, though many secretly harbor superstitions in the dark recesses of their minds.

But there are ancient curses that are absolutely sure. They are neither vindictive nor random. The Creator God gave them to teach us cause and effect. They are actually evidence of God’s love and His desire for us to change in order to avoid the consequences of sin.

Cause and effect

The Bible clearly shows that our actions have consequences. There is a cause (or causes) for every effect. And this is powerfully demonstrated in the chapters that list blessings and curses—Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

God gave His laws for our good. Obeying them brings us good results and blessings automatically (though not always immediately). Disobeying—going against the way God lives and wants us to live—choosing warped and destructive thoughts and actions—will bring bad results automatically (though, again, not always immediately). God’s displeasure with sin is also for the purpose of encouraging us to change—for our own good.

Consider how God introduced the blessings for obedience in Leviticus 26:

“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. …

“I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid. …

“For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you. …

“I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people” (verses 3-4, 6, 9, 12).

Read through the intervening verses to gain a fuller picture of the beautiful blessings God wants to share with us.

Then God introduces the curses for disobedience—“But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments” (verse 14)—and lists a series of painful, terrifying and devastating curses (verses 16-39).

If terror, disease and famine don’t bring people to repentance, even worse curses will come. Wave after wave of punishments will occur until people turn to God.If terror, disease and famine don’t bring people to repentance, even worse curses will come. Wave after wave of punishments will occur until people turn to God.

God describes horrifying scenes of starvation, cannibalism and captivity that have come—and will come—on those who continue to disobey.

A poignant prayer

Daniel, who had been taken captive himself, recognized the power of these ancient prophecies in the events of his day. He saw that the sins of his nation had led to the punishment of being taken captive by the Babylonians.

After almost 70 years in Babylon, he also recognized a separate, specific prophecy recorded by Jeremiah, showing that Judah’s captivity would last 70 years (Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10-14).

So Daniel took to heart God’s message to those who were suffering the punishments of the ancient curse: “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—then I will remember My covenant with Jacob” (Leviticus 26:40-42).

God promised to remember His commitment to them—if they humbly repented.

And Daniel personally did just that. His humble and heartfelt prayer provides a powerful example to this day.

“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, ‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. …

“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. …

“As it is written in the Law of Moses [for example, in Leviticus 26], all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. …

“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name” (Daniel 9:3-5, 8-9, 13-14, 19).

These excerpts give a taste of Daniel’s prayer of repentance, but he had much more to say. It is worthwhile to read and meditate on the whole prayer, as it applies to our world as well. Our society has rejected God and His laws and is growing increasingly evil, yet so few are repenting and turning to God. People continue to sin and bring on the ancient curses, when repentance could allow them to avoid the deadly consequences.

End-time fulfillment

The Bible makes clear that all this will happen again—and much worse than ever before.

Sin has never stopped, but God predicted that it would again crescendo at the time of the end. Jesus compared the increasingly evil time just before His return to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39; see our article “As in the Days of Noah: Warnings for Today”).

Jesus even warned His followers, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Lawlessness—rejection of God’s laws—and selfishness are hallmarks of our age.

The apostle Paul’s listing of end-time attitudes seems ripped from our headlines: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

Sin—breaking God’s beneficial laws—automatically leads to pain, suffering and death. Of course, the results are not always immediate, which leads many in this world under the sway of the wicked one to think they can escape the consequences (Ecclesiastes 8:11; 1 John 5:19; see also Psalm 73 and our article “When Life Doesn’t Make Sense”).

The terrible results of sin are inexorable and inescapable. Cause and effect will bring humanity to the brink of self-destruction.But the terrible results of sin are inexorable and inescapable. Cause and effect will bring humanity to the brink of self-destruction.

Jesus explained that “there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

For the elect’s sake

Who are those “elect”? The Greek word eklektos means “picked out, chosen” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). God’s chosen people have responded to His call—have repented, been baptized and received His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:14, 28-33).

They are led by the Spirit to live God’s way: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:12-14). This way stands in stark contrast to the selfish end-time attitudes we saw earlier in 2 Timothy 3.

The elect “cry out day and night to Him” (Luke 18:7)—like Daniel crying out for himself and his people. They “sigh and cry over all the abominations” committed in the world (Ezekiel 9:4) and pray fervently for God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10; see “Thy Kingdom Come”).

And for their sake, God will shorten those evil days. They have a vital part in saving the world!

If God is calling you to be one of those elect, you need to respond. Our free booklet Change Your Life! collects many of the key biblical passages about how to answer His call.

God wants each of us to learn to avoid the curses by repenting, changing and obeying His laws.God wants each of us to learn to avoid the curses by repenting, changing and obeying His laws. By doing this, we will also bring the wonderful blessings He promised. As we learn to choose the blessings and reject the sinful way that leads to curses, we will be preparing to teach others to do the same.

The end of the story

If you read to the end of the book, you will see that as long as there are human beings, the ancient curses and blessings still apply. There will still be curses for breaking God’s beneficial laws, with the ultimate penalty being eternal death (Revelation 21:8). God will not allow someone who chooses to sin to continue to bring curses on himself and others for eternity.

But in the end, the blessings will prevail. Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” They will be abundantly welcomed into the glorious New Jerusalem as members of the blessed family of God for eternity!

“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (verse 3).

Instead of curses, there will be amazing blessings: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Choose the blessings—choose life!

Our free booklets Change Your Life! and God’s 10 Commandments: Still Relevant Today can help. We encourage you to download them today and learn more about the way that leads to blessings.

Can You Really Prep for Doomsday?

 

Millions of people are feverishly preparing for the end of the world as we know it. Many of the fears are real. But is there a better way to prep for doomsday?

In some ways, Geoff Miller lives like any other upwardly mobile suburbanite. He works as a software developer for an investment bank in downtown Chicago, commuting via rail from his home in the far north Chicago suburbs. His wife, Trish, works part-time as a physical therapist, in addition to running their two teenage daughters to sports activities and music lessons.

However, the Millers (who asked that their real names not be used) have some other pursuits that only a small circle of family and friends know about. 

Trish avidly stockpiles food and other supplies. Each week she cans and dehydrates large quantities of meats and produce, and shops at her local big-box store to buy jumbo-sized containers of nonperishable foods that she stores in their basement. Trish has also stashed away first-aid supplies, toiletries, water, batteries, charcoal and matches. 

All told, the Millers are closing in on having food and supplies to last about one year.

Geoff has been busy renovating their home—installing security cameras, tempered glass windows, solar panels, an indoor hydroponic greenhouse and an electric fence around the perimeter of the property. He’s also purchased pistols and rifles for himself, his wife and their kids, and they practice their shooting skills weekly. “You have to be ready to protect yourself and what’s yours from looters,” Geoff says.

Recently, the couple purchased land in rural Wisconsin and had an underground bunker built on the property—their safe haven should they need to wait out a short-term threat or permanently leave the suburbs. There they have stored additional food, water, guns and ammunition.

No one outside their immediate family knows where the bunker is located. “We won’t have room for anyone else, so we don’t want others knocking on the door when everything starts going down,” Geoff says.

Doomsday preppers: preparing for survival

The Millers are doomsday preppers—part of a growing movement of individuals who believe a catastrophic disaster or emergency, including the possible total breakdown of society, is likely to occur in the near future and are working feverishly to survive the aftermath.

A lot of doomsday preppers, like the Millers, keep their preparations quiet, so there are only estimates for how many people are involved in the movement. Tom Martin, founder of the American Preppers Network, says it’s generally believed there are 3 to 5 million preppers in the United States, plus millions more in other countries. “The preppers movement is a worldwide trend, and it’s getting larger all the time,” he says. “Anywhere there have been natural disasters, people are prepping more.”

The number of new businesses and websites catering to preppers is a good indicator of the momentum of the movement. And they are reporting rapid growth. For example, one reported a 708 percent explosion in revenues over the past three years! Shelter and bunker building is surging as well. 

Thousands of survival blogs and websites exist, as well as dozens of magazines devoted to prepping. TV is spreading the word too. National Geographic Channel produces Doomsday Preppers, profiling different prepping households in every episode; and Discovery Channel’s Doomsday Bunkers follows a company that builds underground shelters for preppers.

What’s driving the doomsday prepper movement?

Admittedly, the prepper movement is not a totally new phenomenon. There have always been people, often on the fringe of society, who feared and prepared for apocalyptic scenarios. “What’s different about the movement today is it has gone mainstream,” observes Mr. Martin. “There are preppers from all walks of life—people from every age, gender and socioeconomic level.”

He believes 9/11 was the turning point that really accelerated interest in prepping. Disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy or the Ebola outbreak have added to the momentum. “Every time there’s a disease outbreak or natural disaster in the world, that fuels the prepping movement even more,” says Mr. Martin.

People prep for different reasons and to varying degrees. Most fall within one of two camps. The first is focused on regional disasters of some kind, natural or man-made. These preppers believe they need to be ready to “ride out the storm” for a period of time until life returns to normal.

The other camp is readying for all-out doomsday and “end of the world as we know it” scenarios. These are the so-called doomsday preppers.

They’re convinced a catastrophe of world-changing proportions is looming, such as world economic collapse, the use of a weapon of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical or biological), a global superbug pandemic, an asteroid strike or comet collision, or electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) from a solar flare or nuclear detonation that would disable all electronics.

They’re preparing to survive not only the events, but the subsequent breakdown of societal infrastructure (transportation systems, roads, bridges, dams, utilities, hospitals, prisons, etc.), disruptions to the food supply, civil unrest and martial law.

It’s not surprising that preparing for these apocalyptic scenarios becomes their life focus.

The doomsday you can’t prep for physically

Without question we live in an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world.Without question we live in an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world. It makes sense to have some emergency provisions on hand in case of natural disasters, harsh weather, power outages or other difficult circumstances.

“A certain amount of prepping for difficult times is always wise,” says Douglas Horchak, a minister with the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Dallas, Texas. “But the prepping that a lot of people today are pursuing isn’t going to save them from the doomsday that is coming!”

The Bible has long predicted an end-time scenario for which humanity will be desperately unprepared. “In fact, Jesus Himself told of a future time of ‘great tribulation’ that would take place—a time unlike anything the world has ever seen,” Mr. Horchak explains. 

“Furthermore, despite being warned well in advance, Jesus said that time will come unexpectedly on the whole world, like a snare suddenly snapping. That’s the doomsday we ought to be prepping for, but the question is ‘how?’”

Be ready: preparation for the return of Jesus Christ

That unique preparation was, in fact, what Jesus stressed in His prophecy. “Therefore you also be ready,” we read in Matthew 24:44, “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

How can one possibly be ready for the end-time cataclysmic events surrounding His return?

“The real key is what you’re truly preparing for. If you’re preparing for battle so you can defend your property, which many of the doomsday preppers are, that’s out of the realm of what God says we should be focused on. It’s only spiritual preparation that is going to ultimately save anyone,” Mr. Horchak emphasizes, citing Luke 21:36, where Jesus said, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

“God has to be in the picture,” stresses Mr. Horchak. “When people start thinking about how bad this world is and how difficult things could get, if God isn’t in the picture, people are left to do nothing more than to deal with their fears on a physical basis. And when that happens, people become suspicious of each other, there is division and animosity, and it leaves tremendous amount of room for human nature to blossom—in a negative way.”

Promises of God’s protection

On the other hand, spiritual preppers stand confidently on the Bible’s many promises of protection to those who serve God. Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” (see also Exodus 14:14 and Psalm 34:19).

On the other hand, spiritual preppers stand confidently on the Bible’s many promises of protection to those who serve God.“While there are steps we can and should take to be prepared for emergencies and stay safe, God makes it very clear He wants us to rely on Him,” says Mr. Horchak. “We are to look to God for guidance, not just during calamities, but always.” 

Rather than trust in God, self-reliance is a main tenet of the doomsday prepping movement. Many doomsday preppers don’t want to have to depend on anyone else or any other institution—or God—to take care of them. They are determined to take care of themselves—and do it their own way.

Spiritual preparation for doomsday should be our focus

There is no better way to prepare for the end times and the prophesied turbulent times ahead than to develop a close relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation and fellowship with other believers. James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. He is the ultimate true security.

He likewise promises that we don’t have to cower in fear before the challenges of this world or to allow situations beyond our control to dominate our minds. As 2 Timothy 1:7 says, God gives us “a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (English Standard Version).

Prepping for doomsday or fixating on catastrophe is not the attitude God has in mind for us. Rather, we can have hope and peace of mind, knowing that all things are in God’s hands.

“Truly, if we are preparing spiritually—which means striving for a close relationship with God—we have nothing to fear, because God protects those who are His,” Mr. Horchak concludes. “God is the only One who can provide protection from global calamity and catastrophes, and He is the only source of true security.”

Read these related articles on the Life, Hope & Truth website: “The Wrath of God: How to Survive” and “End of the World—Why It’s Good News!”

Sidebar: The Real Doomsday

By Mike Bennett

Many doomsday preppers have legitimate fears about a range of disasters that can strike our world. But what if all of those disasters occurred one after another, overwhelming anyone’s capacity to survive? What if the end of the world is real?

Jesus Christ warned of a coming time of unprecedented trouble worse than any other time in history. 

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). This time of trouble, described in even greater detail in the book of Revelation, holds threats beyond anything that anyone can physically prepare for. 

A way of survival and escape does exist, however! Jesus went on to promise, “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (verse 22).

“The elect” are Christ’s followers who repent of sin and commit to faithfully obeying God. At the end of this Olivet Prophecy Jesus told His followers how to live in preparation for His second coming: 

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Despite the horrific sins of the world, God has His eye on His people and will be with them during the time of “great tribulation.” Then Christ will return as King of Kings to stop the doomsday threat, and the elect will rule with Him as His righteous government finally establishes peace over all the earth!

Read more about these vitally important subjects and how you can spiritually prepare on LifeHopeandTruth.com. See:

• The Book of Revelation: The Storm Before the Calm
• What Is the Great Tribulation?
• Place of Safety
• Called and Chosen
• Change Your Life!